The University of Ulster, Coleraine Rugby Club (UUC RFC), continued their pre-season preparations with a hard fought cup win at the City of Derry Rugby Club on Saturday. They entered the George Tee’s Cup for the fourth year in a row and won the tournament after four very competitive matches.
UUC started their challenge with a tricky tie against Londonderry YMCA. The game got off to a blistering start with both teams looking for the opening that would give them the lead but it was UUC who found it first. Great work from both forwards and backs allowed the first try of the game to be scored by Sam Hall. Hall went on to score another and assist a try while UUC finished up winners by 28-0.
Ballymoney were the next team for UUC to contend with but a strong defence and agile running from the back line saw UUC take the spoils of this game by 21-0 and set up mouth-watering final group game against Dungannon.
A win for either UUC or Dungannon would see them book a place in the final against the winner of the other group, Creggs. Both teams fought hard and it was UUC who opened the scoring with a nifty set of hands from their backs to allow Sam Hall to score in the corner. Dungannon replied with a try of their own off a well worked maul pushing the students over their own line. On the stroke of half time it was UUC who broke the deadlock; Michael Dunleavy picked the ball up from a penalty burst through several tackles and went over under the posts. The second half was just a good as the first. Dungannon levelled the scores with a well worked try from their winger but it was the patience and determination of the students that saw them work their way into the Dungannon and put them to the sword with a well executed try. This left the final score 19-14 in favour of UUC.
Creggs, reaching the final by winning the other group, were to be UUC’s opposition in the final. UUC were the team to strike first with Sam Hall providing another try for the cause by running half the pitch before scoring under the posts. The conversion was added making it 7-0. Creggs continued to fight on and were awarded a penalty to reduce the deficit to 7-3. The second half was punishing for both teams, the weather got worse and mistakes started to creep in. A missed penalty by Creggs kept the score at 7-3. UUC continued to attack but couldn’t find an opening and the match finished up 7-3.
UUC collected the George Tee’s Cup for a fourth year in a row with Creggs’ open-side flanker taking the player of the tournament award. The trophy will now reside in the club room of UUC for another year, with the hope of winning the trophy for a record fifth time next year.
Photographs
Image 1: UUC club captain Jamie Wilkinson and 1XV captain Andrew Winder with the George Tees Cup with the rest of the squad after winning the tournament
